Type-writer.



c. s. DU BELLE.

TYPE WRITER. 1 Arrmouxon Hmm 0011. 21, 190e.

Patented 0111.18, 1910.

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. TYPE WRITER.

APELIOATIQN FILED 00'l 21,'1908.

972,832. l Patented 0013.18,1 910.

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CHARLES SUMNER DU BELLE, OF WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA.

TYPEWEITER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18, 1910.

Application filed October 21, 1908. Serial No. 458,825.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES SUMNER DU BELLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Williamsport, in the county of Lycoming and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Type-Writers, of which the following is a specication.

rIlhis invention has reference to improvements in typewriters and is designed more particularly for the adaptation to different makes of typewriter machines for the attachment thereto of means for automatically returning the carriage to initial position after a line or a portion of a line has been written so that when the carriage returns to the initial position the platen will be rotated upon its longitudinal axis for line spacing. The improved means for line spacing are arranged to be attached to the several commercial makes oi' typewriting machines without in any manner changing or interfering with the normal mechanism of such machines.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a member carried upon the frame of the carriage of the typewriting machine and another member upon the frame ci the machine which is fixed in space and these two members are so related that when the carriage approaches the initial position on its return movement under power one member will engage the other and actuate the line spacing mechanism of the typewriting machine in such manner as to turn the platen the desired number of spaces, usually from one to three line spaces according to the position of the spacing mechanism.

The'invention is designed to be used in connection with anelectrically operated carriage returning mechanism such for instance as shown in my application, No. 428,167, for improvements in solenoids, tiled April 20, 1908. In accordance with the structure in the said application there is provided a solenoid controlling a rack bar which in turn through suitable gearing is connected to the carriage of the typewriting machine and during Vthe normalmovement of the carriage under the act of writing the solenoid core is withdrawn from the solenoid without effort.

When the line has been finished, or for any other reason it is desired to return the carriage to the initial position the operator presses a supplemental key attached to the side of the typewriter frame thus closing the electric circuit to the solenoid and energizing the latter and causing the iii-drawing of the solenoid core, the movement then being in a direction which will cause the return of the typewriter carriage to its initial position.

The solenoid structure has proven commercially successful and adaptable to practically all the commercial makes of typewriter machines. In order to adapt the solenoid structure to the several makes of typewriter machines without in any manner necessitating change in the structures of such machines so that the purpose of the solenoid structure, that is, to return the carriage to its initial position and rotate the platen the proper line distance, I have devised the several structures forming the subject matter of the present invention in order to cause the line spacing movement of the typewriter platen at the proper time.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detail description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which drawings,

Figure l is an end elevation with parts broken away of a portion of a known style of typewriting machine with the means for automatically causing the line spacing rotation of the typewriter platen. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of another style of typewriter showing the means for causing the line spacing movement of the typewriter platen.` Fig. i is an end elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 3 with parts in section.

Referring first to Figs. l and 2 the structure there shown is the platen rotating mechanism for line shifting as adapted to the style of commercial typewriter known as the Royal typewriter. In these views a portion of the frame l of the machine is indicated and also a portion of the carriage 2 together with the platen 3 and on the platen arbor l there is shown the usual spacing ratchet wheel 5 under the control of a dog G mounted on the outer end of a rock arm 7 Attached to the carriage are spaced brackets 8 in which is journaled and through which projects a shaft 9 under the control of a helical spring 10 surrounding said shaft. The spring 10 is inclosed in a cylindrical casing 11 between the two brackets 8. Above the upper bracket 8 the shaft 9 carries an arm 12 fast to the shaft and the free end of the arm is connected by a link 13 to the rock arm 7 controlling the dog 6. Fast on the upper bracket 8 is a finger 14 in the path of the arm 12 so that its movement in a direction to carry the dog 6 idly over the teeth of the ratchet wheel 5 is limited, this movement being under the impelling action of the spring 10. At the lower end of the shaft 9 there is made fast an arm 15 normally parallel with the end of the carriage and extending to the back of the frame of the typewriter machine. There is also provided a bracket 16 of sufficient length to span the space between two screws 17 pres-ent at the rear side of the frame of this particular style of typewriter machine. The bracket 16 carries a plate 18 upon which is pivotally mounted a rock arm 19 having at its free end a screw stud 20 carrying a roller 21. The arm 19 is under the normal control of a spring 22 one end of which is fastened to said arm and the other end of which is fast to the plate 18 and a stop pin 23 on the plate 18 limits the movement of the arm 19 under the action of. the spring 22. The typewriter carriage is finally arrested by the stop usually employed for the purpose and the machine is now ready for the writing of a line of imprint by the keys of the typewriter in the ordinary manner.

In Fig. 2 of the drawings the carriage is assumed to be in its initial position and under the action of the typewriter keys in the act of writing the carriage will be impelled toward the left as viewed in Fig. 2. Uien the arm 15 is finally brought into Contact with the roller 21 on the stud 20 the arm 19 is caused to move about its pivot against the action of th-e spring 22 which latter is a weak Spring and offers no appreciable resistance to the arm 15. As soon as the said arm 15 has moved past the arm 19 the latter snaps back to the stop 23 under the action of the spring 22. Now when the carriage is returned to its initial position which will be toward the right as viewed in Fig. 2, this return movement being under the action of the solenoid shown in the aforesaid application the arm 15 is, before the initial position of the carriage is finally reached, brought into contact with the roller 21 on the stud 20, but because of the stud 23 the arm 19 is immovable to the arm 15 and the latter must therefore yield. This it does against the action of the spring 10 and on yielding the shaft 9 is rotated on its longitudinal axis and actuates the dog 6 in a direction to rotate the platen the desired distance whether the same be one, two or three line spaces. Before the final position of the carriage is reached the arm 15 escapes from the control of the roller 21 and the spring 10 then causes it to move to the position shown in Fig. 2.

In order to facilitate the application of the bracket 1G to the machine slots 24 therethrough are provided for the passage of screws 17. By making the slots 24 sufficiently long the position of the stud 2O with relation to the arm 15 may be adjusted to allow for changes in the initial position of the typewriter carriage.

Referring to the structures shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, such structure is shown in connection with the line spacing mechanism of the style of typewriter known as the Underwood. In these figures there is shown a portion 25 of the carriage of the type- 'writer and a portion 2G of the fixed frame of the typewriter machine and the platen and ratchet wheel are indicated at 26/ and 27 respectively. There is also shown the sliding bar 28 controlling the dog 29 which actuates the ratchet wheel 27, which structures are common to this type of machine.

By the present invention there is provided a bell crank lever 30 secured at its angle to the frame of the typewriter carriage by a pivot screw 31 and one end of this bell crank lever has secured thereto by a stud screw 32 a roller 33 designed to engage the end of the slide 28. The other end of the bell crank lever 30 is connected by a link 34 to the shorter end of alever 35 pivotally supported by a bolt 35 on the under side of a plate 36 made fast to the carriage frame by screws 37 already present in said frame and this plate 36 is provided with slots 38 for the passage of the screws, the slots permitting a certain amount of adjustment. The lever 35 is under the control of a light spring 39 the purpose of which will hereinafter appear. The outer1 end 40 of the lever 35 is bent upward and then again into a horizontal position to over-ride the part of the frame 26 carrying the scale of the typewriter, indicated in Fig. 4 at 41. Below the scale support the particular style of typewriter shown in Figs. 3 and 4 carries a rod 42 and this rod is utilized for the securing of a bracket 43 extending upward in front of the scale bar and over-hanging the same and there at the free end provided with a downwardly projecting stud screw 44 carrying a roller 45 in the path of the end 40 of the lever 35. The bracket 43 is provided at the end where it engages the rod 42 with a clip 46, the two legs of which are engaged by a screw 47 so that the clip may be clamped upon the rod at any position of adjustment desired. A set screw 48 extending through the upwardly directed portion of the bracket 43 so as to engage the scale supporting portion of the frame of the machine is provided so that the relativel position of the roller 45 and the end 4() of the lever 35 may be fixed and maintained irrespective of the movement of the bracket 43 along the rod 42.

The operation of the structures shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is similar to that described with reference to Figs. l and 2 except that on the active movement of the carriage during the operation of typewriting the lever will give to a limited extent against the action of the spring 39 so as to pass the relatively fixed roller 45 without putting the parts under strain, but as soon as this has occurred the spring 39 will return the lever 35 into a position to cause the stud lever 35 to be engaged by the roller 45 when the carriage is returned toward its initial position under the action of the electromechanical devices such as shown in the aforesaid application for Letters Patent.

The manner of applying the invention to several well known makes of typewriters has been set forth in the foregoing description and the same mechanisms without modification or with very little change may be applied to other makes of typewriters not hereinbefore mentioned.

For practical commercial purposes the only available power for the operation of the invention, that is the automatic return of the typewriter carriage to initial position and the actuating of the line spacing mechanism by such return, is the electric current, and this in the commercial forms supplied, namely in the form of street current of one hundred and ten or two hundred and twenty volts more or less. Such an installation gives ample power at practically no cost for current, the cost of operation being negligible. Therefore a solenoid which will operate successfully under the action of street current and a switch which is adapted to also operate successfully without injury to its parts under the action of street current, and a means for operating the line spacing mechanism of the typewriter carriage, all of which may be attached to commercial forms of typewriters without change of the structure of the latter becomes a unitary attachment for typewriters for converting the ordinary hand manipulated typewriter into a power machine which requires only the touch of keys for its proper operation.

That is claimed is l. In a typewriter, means for automatically causing the actuation of the line spacing mechanism of the typewriter, comprising a member carried by the typewriter carriage and spring constrained toward its inactive position, another member on a fixed portion of the typewriter frame, and means more yieldable than the said constraining means for the carriage sustained member, for permitting the passage of the carriage sustaining member past the fixedly supported memberl on the movement of the typewriter carriage away from its initial position.

2. In a typewriter, means for automatically causing the actuation of the line spacing mechanism of the typewriter, comprising a member adapted to be secured upon a fixed portion of the typewriter frame, and another member adapted to be secured on the typewriter carriage, the second named member being positively engaged by the first named member to actuate the line spacing' mechanism as the typewriter carriage is returned toward its initial position, and spring constrained toward its inactive position, the two members having a relative yielding movement independent of the aforesaid movements and against a force tending to resist such independent movement.

3. In 'a typewriter, a means for actuating the line spacing mechanism of the same on the return of the carriage to initial position, comprising a bell crank lever adapted to be attached to the typewriter carriage in operative relation to the said line spacing mechanism, a lever connected thereto and a bracket adapted to be secured to a fixed portion of the frame of the typewriter in the path of the lever on the carriage.

4. In a typewriter, a means for actuating the line spacing mechanism of the same on the return of the carriage to initial position, comprising a bell crank lever adapted to be attached to the typewriter carriage in operative relation to the said spacing mechanism, a lever adapted to be mounted on the carriage, a link connection between the lever and bell crank lever, and a bracket adapted to be secured adjustably to a fixed portion of the frame of the typewriter in the path of the lever on the carriage.

5. In a typewriter, a means for actuating the line spacing'mechanism of the same on the return of the. carriage to initial position, comprising a bell crank lever adapted to be attached to the typewriter carriage in operative relation to the said line spacing mechanism, another lever adapted to be mounted on the carriage, a. link connection f Writer in the path of the lever on the cai- 10 between the tWo levers, a spring connected to the second named lever and tending to move it in a direction toward the line spac- 5 ing mechanism, a plate carrying the second muned lever and spring and adapted to be attached to the typewriter carriage, and a bracket adapted to be secured adjustably to a. fixed portion of the frame of the typemarre.

li testimony that I claim the foregoing my own, l have hereto aixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES SUMNER DU BELLE. Witnesses H. S. BEST, F. E. BRADLEY. 

